Self-Checkout Anti-Theft Device

1. A system for facilitating the detection of theft in self-checkout systems, the system comprising: a processor; a scanner operatively coupled to the processor and configured to detect and transmit to the processor a scanned product from a plurality of products being scanned for purchase; a memory containing at least one database of predefined movements through a field of view and product information corresponding to the plurality of products wherein the product information comprises at least a cost and a weight of each of the plurality of products, the memory operatively coupled to the processor; an image detector, the image detector to at least detect and track actual movement through a field of view, the image detector operatively coupled to the processor to transmit the tracked actual movement to the processor; a portable post-purchase location contained in the field of view of the image detector and located a distance from a pre-purchase location, the post-purchase location comprising at least one scale to detect and transmit to the processor a total weight of products placed in the portable post-purchase location wherein the scale is operatively coupled to the processor; the processor configured to fetch from the memory the weight of the scanned product detected and sum the weight of each of the scanned products detected during a transaction, the processor configured to obtain the total weight of products placed in the portable post-purchase location from the scale, the processor to compare the sum and the total weight to determine whether the sum and the total weight are within a predefined tolerance, wherein the processor does not generate a weight violation signal when the sum and the total weight are within a predefined tolerance and does generate the weight violation signal when the sum and the total weight are outside the predefined tolerance; and the processor configured to compare the tracked actual movement through the field of view to the predefined movements through the field of view, wherein the processor generates a movement violation signal based on the comparison of the tracked actual movement and the predefined movements through the field of view.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operatively coupled.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the processor counts a number of movement violation signals.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the processor changes the predefined tolerance to a second predefined tolerance when the number exceeds a predefined threshold.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein at least one database of predefined movements through a field of view comprises at least one allowed movement and wherein the movement violation signal is generated only when the comparison of the tracked actual movement and the at least one allowed movement indicates the tracked actual movement is not any of the at least one allowed movement.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the processor generates an estimated tracked movement when the field of view is obscured.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the tracked movement comprises tracking the movement of an anatomy of a customer.

8. The system according to claim 6 wherein the tracked movement comprises tracking the movement of the scanned product.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein at least one database of predefined movements through a field of view comprises at least one un-allowed movement and wherein the movement violation signal is generated only when the comparison of the tracked actual movement and the at least one un-allowed movement indicates the tracked actual movement is any of the at least one un-allowed movement.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein the processor generates an estimated tracked movement when the field of view is obscured.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the tracked movement comprises tracking the movement of an anatomy of a customer.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein the tracked movement comprises tracking the movement of the scanned product.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein the weight violation signal locks the system.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein the movement violation signal locks the system.

15. The system according to claim 1 wherein the portable post-purchase location is a push shopping cart.

16. The system according to claim 1 wherein the portable post-purchase location is a hand carry basket.

17. The system according to claim 1 wherein the product information corresponding to the plurality of products comprises a stored product image of each of the plurality of products and wherein the image detector captures a scanned product image wherein the processor compares the stored product image to the scanned product image to determine whether the scanned product image matches the stored product image and wherein the processor generates a product violation signal only when the stored product image and the scanned product image do not match.

18. A method for facilitating the detection of theft in self-checkout systems, the method comprising: obtaining an image of a field of view wherein the field of view contains a post-purchase product location into which at least one purchased product is placed; receiving at a processor data from a scanner corresponding to a product to be purchased, wherein the data identifies the scanned product from a plurality of products; tracking movement through the field of view as the scanned product is moved to the post-purchase product location using an image detector; determining whether the tracked movement is an allowed movement by comparing the tracked movement to allowed movement stored in memory; generating a movement violation signal when the tracked movement is determined to be an un-allowed movement; receiving a signal at the processor from the post-purchase product location of a total actual weight of purchased products contained in the post-purchase product location; calculating by the processor the total expected weight by summing the weights of the scanned products using weight data stored in the memory; generating a weight violation signal when the total expected weight and the total actual weight are outside of a predefined tolerance.